2. 1. Land of traditions 2. Interesting to know 3. Famous people 1. Land of traditions 2. Interesting to know 3. Famous people

3. Britain's Social Customs British people place considerable value on punctuality. If you agree to meet friends at three o'clock, you can bet that they'll be there just after three. Since Britons are so time conscious, the pace of life may seem very rushed. In Britain, people make great effort to arrive on time. It is often considered impolite to arrive even a few minutes late. If you are unable to keep an appointment, it is expected that you call the person you are meeting. Some general tips follow.

4. If you cannot eat a certain type of food or have some special needs, tell your host several days before the dinner party. If you are a guest, it is polite to wait until your host starts eating or indicates you should do so. It shows consideration. Always chew and swallow all the food in your mouth before taking more or taking a drink. Always say thank you when served something. It shows appreciation. You may eat chicken and pizza with your fingers if you are at a barbecue, finger buffet or very informal setting. Otherwise always use a knife and fork. When eating rolls, break off a piece of bread before buttering. Eating it whole looks tacky. On formal dining occasions it is good manners to take some butter from the butter dish with your bread knife and put it on your side plate (for the roll). Then butter pieces of the roll using this butter. This prevents the butter in the dish getting full of bread crumbs as it is passed around. In a restaurant, it is normal to pay for your food by putting your money on the plate the bill comes on. We eat most of our food with cutlery. The foods we don't eat with a knife, fork or spoon include sandwiches, crisps, corn on the cob, and fruit. Things you should do:

5. Never lick or put your knife in your mouth. It is impolite to start eating before everyone has been served unless your host says that you don't need to wait. Never chew with your mouth open. No one wants to see food being chewed or hearing it being chomped on. It is impolite to have your elbows on the table while you are eating. Don't reach over someone's plate for something, ask for the item to be passed. Never talk with food in your mouth. It is impolite to put too much food in your mouth. Never use your fingers to push food onto your spoon or fork. It is impolite to slurp your food or eat noisily. Never blow your nose on a napkin (serviette). Napkins are for dabbing your lips and only for that. Never take food from your neighbour’s plate. Never pick food out of your teeth with your fingernails. Things you should not do

6. Changes in diet over the Years Britain is an island between the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. No one in England lives more than 120 km (75 miles) from the sea. For people living near the sea, fish and shellfish have always been popular foods. Away from the sea, people first ate wild animals, but then hundreds of years ago they began keeping sheep, cows and chickens on farms. Farmers have grown fruit, vegetables and cereals (for bread making) for centuries too. During the Middle Ages (11th to 15th Century), Ships brought sugar, nuts and spices from far away. The spices were often used to hide the taste of the food which was going bad! When sailors went to foreign places they bought back more kinds of food. When fridges and freezes were invented, people could keep food much longer. Changes in diet over the Years Britain is an island between the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. No one in England lives more than 120 km (75 miles) from the sea. For people living near the sea, fish and shellfish have always been popular foods. Away from the sea, people first ate wild animals, but then hundreds of years ago they began keeping sheep, cows and chickens on farms. Farmers have grown fruit, vegetables and cereals (for bread making) for centuries too. During the Middle Ages (11th to 15th Century), Ships brought sugar, nuts and spices from far away. The spices were often used to hide the taste of the food which was going bad! When sailors went to foreign places they bought back more kinds of food. When fridges and freezes were invented, people could keep food much longer.

8. February the 12th is Darwin Day. It is to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin on February 12, 1809 and his life as a scientist. This day also aims to encourage children to get into science. Darwin was one of the world’s greatest scientists and greatly changed the way we look at how we got here. His theory of evolution is one of the most important theories ever. Scientists first came together to recognize and discuss Darwin’s contribution to science in 1909. Today, there are many events on Darwin Day all over the world. These include dinner parties with special recipes for evolutionary soup, recreations of Darwin’s journey in his ship the Beagle, and Darwin festivals. Darwin was an English naturalist who had a passion for nature. Through his studies, he realized that all species of life evolved over time from common cells billions of years ago. He sailed around the world observing and drawing animals to demonstrate this. He published a book on his findings, “On the Origin of the Species”, which is accepted by most scientists as the theory of evolution. It is still the foundation of biology and provides a logical explanation for the diversity of life on Earth. He described the process of how new species started as ‘natural selection’, or ‘the survival of the fittest’. Darwin is buried in London’s Westminster Abbey, close to another great British scientist Sir Isaac Newton.

9. International Mother Language Day (IMLD) is observed every year by member states of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It started in 1999 with the purpose of promoting linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. It also aims at protecting the hundreds of languages around the world that are in danger of dying out. The day has its origins in Bangladesh, who had celebrated its own language with its own Language Movement Day in 1952. Several Bangladeshi students were killed by police for campaigning for the Bangla language to be included as a main language in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Even though their protests were peaceful, the police opened fire. UNESCO stated that "by deciding to celebrate mother tongues…member states wished to recall that languages are not only an essential part of humanity's cultural heritage, but the irreducible expression of human creativity and of its great diversity." IMLD celebrates the fact that 6,000 languages are spoken around the world today. Each year has had a special theme. In 2002, UNESCO promoted its ‘3,000 Languages in Danger’ campaign. In 2005, people commemorated Braille and sign languages. A UNESCO spokesperson said “Languages are the mirror of the souls of the societies in which they are born.” International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November 1999 International Mother Language Day 21 February